Poll: Obama holds edge over GOP hopefuls
CBS News
President Obama holds a significant lead over each of his potential Republican opponents in the general election, according to a poll released Tuesday by CBS News and the New York Times. That includes Mitt Romney, who was even with Mr. Obama last month.
The new survey shows the president leading Romney by six points, 48 percent to 42 percent, among registered voters. Last month, the two men were tied at 45 percent each.
Mr. Obama's lead over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who has surged to a lead in national polls, is eight points: 49 percent to 41 percent.
Romney's drop in support against the president is attributable to a shift among independents. Last month, independents favored the former Massachusetts governor by eight points over Mr. Obama. In the new survey, Mr. Obama holds the edge, leading Romney among independents by nine points.
The president holds double-digit leads over the other two GOP candidates in the race, Rep. Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Mr. Obama leads Paul 50 percent to 39 percent - an 11 point margin - and he leads Gingrich 54 percent to 36 percent, a difference of 18 points.
The findings come as the GOP candidates seek to cast themselves as the potential nominee with the best chance of beating Mr. Obama in November. Santorum is out with a new ad in Michigan, which holds its primary on February 28, which opens: "Who has the best chance to beat Obama? Rick Santorum."
Santorum holds a narrow lead over Romney among Republican primary voters nationwide, according to the new survey. Santorum had the support of 30 percent of GOP primary voters, followed by Romney at 27 percent, Paul at 12 percent and Gingrich at 10 percent. (The difference between Santorum and Romney is statistically insignificant, as it is within the poll's three point margin of error.) Santorum, who has gained momentum from a three-state sweep last Tuesday, was at just 16 percent nationally last month.
Getty Images
But Romney is not seen as reflecting Republican primary voters' values. Just 23 percent say Romney is the candidate who best represents their values, while 39 percent choose Santorum.
Roughly one in three Republican primary voters say Romney, who has been attacked over his moderate record as Massachusetts governor, holds views that are not conservative enough. By contrast, only seven percent say that Santorum's views are insufficiently conservative. Santorum leads Romney by at least twelve points among the most conservative members of the GOP: self-described conservatives, Tea Partiers and white evangelicals.
And while at least half of GOP primary voters say Santorum, Gingrich and Paul would offer policies that would be "very different" than Mr. Obama, just 36 percent say Romney's policies would be "very different" than those of the president.
Santorum is also seen as the candidate most likely to help the middle class: Thirty-two percent of GOP primary voters say Santorum would be most likely to help middle class Americans, while 19 percent cite Romney, 18 percent cite Gingrich and 18 percent cite Paul. Among registered voters overall, 53 percent say Romney favors the rich over other Americans; only 31 percent say the same of Santorum.
Romney has pointed to his business experience to say argue he is well prepared to steer the U.S. economy, which voters overwhelmingly cite as their top issue. But the new survey shows Santorum with a slight - if significantly insignificant - edge when it comes to Republican primary voters' confidence in their ability to manage the economy. Twenty-seven percent are "very" confident Santorum could manage the economy, compared to 25 percent for Romney, 24 percent for Gingrich and 17 percent for Paul.
Despite his lead in the national poll, Santorum is the least well known of the Republican presidential candidates. Roughly half of registered voters say they don't know enough to form an opinion about Santorum; those who do are split, with 27 percent holding a favorable view and 25 percent holding an unfavorably view.
Romney, meanwhile, is solidly in negative territory: While 26 percent of registered voters view him favorably, 40 percent view him unfavorably. Gingrich's favorability numbers are even worse: Just 16 percent view him favorably, while 54 percent view him unfavorably.
Republican primary voters remain dissatisfied with their candidates: 62 percent say they want more choices while 34 percent say they are happy with the field. Sixty percent of GOP primary voters who have picked a candidate say they could still change their mind, while 39 percent say they have settled on a candidate.
The survey, conducted from February 8-13, also found Mr. Obama's approval rating reaching 50 percent amid rising optimism over the economy.
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In full: The new CBS News/New York Times poll
This poll was conducted by telephone from February 8-13, 2012 among 1,197 adults nationwide.
997 interviews were conducted with registered voters. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The margin of error for the sample of registered voters could be plus or minus three points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
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The Republican game plan is to destroy the economy blame the Democrats and President Obama. This is their strategy to obtain the White House and the Senate in the 2012 elections. If you think the Republicans are death on average Americans, working-class and middle-class people now. Just think of how much more damage they could do to this country if they had the house,the Senate and the presidency to consolidate power to do whatever they want. They would then have free reign to turn America into the Third World country that they want for their corporate overlords.
They've already shown their hand by not approving extended unemployment benefits for people and anything else that would help the average American. Then they took America to the brink of default with the debt ceiling crisis. A crisis in which they created. Republicans on the supreme court ruling corporations are people and therefore can give unlimited funding to politicians. Republicans fighting for tax cuts for corporations, big oil and the wealthy while advocating cutting social security, medicare and medicaid. For those reasons and more I can't imagine any thinking working-class poor or middle-class person voting to support Republicans after all the damage they've done to this country. Americans must reject republicans at town hall meetings and the polls for their anti American unpatriotic strategy and tactics. The only difference between Timothy McVie and the republicans is he used explosives and they used their congressional positions.
The phony debt ceiling debate and agreement is another part of the republican game plan to take back the senate and white house. They create artificial crisis to stall (run out the clock on President Obama's term) and cripple him and the economy to prevent JOBS from being discussed or created. They are counting on voters blaming the president for the bad economy even though they the republicans are sabotaging every step of the way. Even a blind man can see republicans couldn't care less for average Americans. Just imagine what they would do if they controlled the house, senate and presidency. Americans cannot let that happen. Because it is crystal clear by the behavior of republicans they do not want America to progress and will hold it hostage to prevent it.
Republicans are screwing up government to prove their mantra " government doesn't work". This is designed to frustrate and turn off non supporters from voting thus paving the way for their depraved zealots to vote republican. Americans need to punish republicans at town halls and the polls. They cannot be allowed to get away with sabotaging our great nation. Americans need to recognize that republicans have no intention or incentive to do anything to bring America out of its economic woes.
After all, they think they can also get elected by blaming President Obama and Democrats. Time will tell if voters will fall for this again. Prevent abuse of struggling Americans and America. Just say no to voting for republicans.
Here's an easy way to make an educated choice about who to vote for in November:
Google and watch these three youtube documentaries:
"Power of Nightmares" - foreign policy truth BBC documentary
"Money as Debt" - clearly explains who controls the money and power
Google "Michael Scheuer Iran" - ex-CIA head Bin Laden unit explains our foreign policy and fear of Iran
Google and watch "Predictions in Due Time"
These are pretty shocking videos about what is really going on in this country, so be warned. Once awakened, it's pretty hard to go back to sleep.
How else can you explain always having to stick to their story even after it has been proven wrong? Or their inexplicable ignorance of science? Or their belief that the chosen people of the earth are rich white men?
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 - "We got it straight in 08"
The poll is a direct reflection of the public voting with their pocketbooks. The stock markets are currently up. This will not be the case going forward for the rest of the year. Major stock mkt corrections are on the horizon.
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Only if the criminals in the GOP are successful in their feeble, pathetic strategy of ruining America further so they can somehow regain power that they cannot be trusted with. The last two times we had GOP control of the House, Senate and presidency were the bleak McCarthy years and the far worse Bush Jr. years.
Gee that really worked out for America, huh?
GOP = Teablabbers = American Taliban = America's Public Enemy Number One.
President Obama in 2012...YES WE CAN!